OCEAN LITERACY
Responding to the lack of ocean-related topics being taught in schools, a group of education professionals, ocean scientists, governmental organizations, and non-governmental organizations in the U.S.A. initiated the Ocean Literacy Framework. The framework was developed as a conceptual tool for educators to help build understanding of the ocean in students in grades K-12. This Ocean Literacy Framework is now used across the globe and has even been included in the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science and Sustainability through UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Ocean Commission (IOC). Additionally, as part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #14: Life Below Water, an Ocean Literacy Toolkit was developed.
A CANADIAN CONTEXT
In 2018, the Canadian Ocean Literacy Coalition began conceptualizing what Ocean Literacy means in a Canadian context, to include diverse Canadian perspectives and traditional ways of knowing. This alliance of organizations, networks, institutions, communities, and individuals is leading a Canada-wide research initiative to better understand Canadians’ varying relationships with the ocean and to examine how OL is understood and practiced across all regions and multiple sectors. The COLC launched a Canadian Ocean Literacy Strategy and Implementation Plan in 2021 with the vision to “take action together to ensure a healthy, sustainable, and equitable relationship with the global ocean and Canada’s waterways for present and future generations". The main goals of this strategy are:
Ocean Knowledge: increase understanding of how the ocean influences us and how our behaviours, decisions, and actions impact the ocean.
Ocean Values: Strengthen positive public and organizational perceptions of the ocean and promote a greater ethic of care.
Ocean Actions: Reduce barriers and increase engagement to contribute to behaviour and societal changes that support ocean health, community livelihoods, and human well-being.
Ocean literacy is an understanding of the ocean’s influence on you and your influence on the ocean.
SIMRS OCEAN LITERACY DEVELOPMENT
Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society’s goal is to increase ocean literacy in children & youth through place-based education and hands-on learning to help create meaningful connections to the ocean and marine life within it. Our Ocean Literacy program is supported by the Government of Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund, Community Foundations of Canada, and Clayoquot Biosphere Trust in response to the challenges presented by Covid-19 that inhibited access to experiential learning in rural, remote, and indigenous communities on the West coast of Vancouver Island.
This program aims to promote ocean literacy by offering:
Accessible & inclusive online/virtual, in-person, and at-home learning opportunities for vulnerable children and youth
Place-based based educational material and resource kits for indigenous and remote communities, that can be easily self-delivered by local community members
Career development volunteer opportunities and mentorship for students and youth in ocean conservation, research, and education. Emphasis will be to create equal opportunity for marginalized groups including women and girls, LGBTQ2s+, and BIPOC.
Flexible & adaptable learning to suit your needs!
SIMRS Ocean Literacy Program is meant to be extremely adaptable to suit the needs of teachers, students, and community members while being flexible to work within different health and safety protocols currently in place. This is why we offer everything from in-person (socially distant) learning, online/virtual in-class learning, to DIY at-home learning options. Our expert educators teach about essential principles and key concepts of the Ocean Literacy Framework while engaging students in our current and localized research programs, allowing them to participate in citizen science and environmental monitoring efforts that directly benefit the health of ocean ecosystems. We value and embody the concept "nothing about us, without us" and seek to work together with communities, schools, or individuals to incorporate traditional ecological knowledge, cultural values, and customs into this program. We welcome participation of all children and youth and can easily adapt for varying abilities and learning styles.
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